Order!
order!" Burgess rapped with his gavel, and said:

"Let us not forget the proprieties due. There has evidently been a
mistake somewhere, but surely that is all. If Mr. Wilson gave me an
envelope--and I remember now that he did--I still have it."

He took one out of his pocket, opened it, glanced at it, looked
surprised and worried, and stood silent a few moments. Then he waved his
hand in a wandering and mechanical way, and made an effort or two to say
something, then gave it up, despondently. Several voices cried out:

"Read it! read it! What is it?"

So he began, in a dazed and sleep-walker fashion:

"'The remark which I made to the unhappy stranger was this: "You are
far from being a bad man. (The house gazed at him marvelling.) Go, and
reform."'" (Murmurs: "Amazing! what can this mean?") "This one," said
the Chair, "is signed Thurlow G. Wilson."

"There!" cried Wilson, "I reckon that settles it! I knew perfectly well
my note was purloined."

"Purloined!" retorted Billson. "I'll let you know that neither you nor
any man of your kidney must venture to--"

The Chair: "Order, gentlemen, order! Take your seats, both of you,
please."

They obeyed, shaking their heads and grumbling angrily. The house
was profoundly puzzled; it did not know what to do with this curious
emergency. Presently Thompson got up. Thompson was the hatter. He would
have liked to be a Nineteener; but such was not for him; his stock of
hats was not considerable enough for the position. He said:

"Mr. Chairman, if I may be permitted to make a suggestion, can both of
these gentlemen be right? I put it to you, sir, can both have happened
to say the very same words to the stranger? It seems to me--"

The tanner got up and interrupted him. The tanner was a disgruntled man;
he believed himself entitled to be a Nineteener, but he couldn't get
recognition. It made him a little unpleasant in his ways and speech.
Said he:

"Sho, THAT'S not the point! THAT could happen--twice in a hundred
years--but not the other thing. NEITHER of them gave the twenty
dollars!" (A ripple of applause.)

Billson. "I did!"

Wilson. "I did!"

Then each accused the other of pilfering.

The Chair. "Order! Sit down, if you please--both of you. Neither of the
notes has been out of my possession at any moment."

A Voice. "Good--that settles THAT!"

The Tanner. "Mr. Chairman, one thing is now plain: one of these men
has been eavesdropping under the other one